Dave and I have been working on a series of Dreadnoughts built from Australian (or more to the point Tasmanian) timbers.

This first one is Native Olive. (Notelaea ligustrina)

Quite difficult to source and if you can get hold of it the lumber is prone to heart shakes and worm holes. It also contains a natural wax which makes it a bit of a beast to run through the drum sander. However, from what I've seen so far it'll be worth the hassle.

However it has a very nice tap tone to it, similar to the rosewoods but with more bottom end than anything I've got in the stash (including Brazilian)

It is about the same weight as the rosewoods. This weighs in at 894 grams without the top - back at .090" and sides at .080", Mahogany neck and end block and linings.

What it'll sound like in an instrument is anyones guess. Tim Spittle has one three quarters finished and there's this one. (as far as we know no-one has a completed a N Olive yet )

You can see some of the worm holes in the side of this pic.

The next one is Tasmanian Black Heart Sassafras.(Atherosperma moschatum)

Similar in weight to Mahogany (just slightly heavier) and at this point in construction has a similar sound to a Mahogany dread that we're building. It has that woody sound that makes me think it will have a similar mid-range punch to Mahog.

The Black Heart is a fungus which occurs in some trees and is generally sought ofter by woodturners. I have seen a pic of a Sassafras guitar but it hasn't been used extensively in Australia.

The last one is Tiger Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghami)which most of you will have seen before.

Myrtle is the predominant species in Tasmania's temperate rainforests but Tiger Myrtle is only found in a small area of northwest Tassie and like the Native Olive is very difficult to source.

Myrtle is a botanical legacy of the Gondwana super-continent. It is representative of species that once grew extensively throughout not only Australia but also South America and Antarctica. It can grow up to 50m and live in excess of 500 years.

It also comes with some incredible curly figuring but the straight grained, un-tigered version of this wood sounds exactly the same and is much less expensive.

Has rich bottom end and complex upper mids and highs.

We've got another couple to start using Alpine Ash
(Eucalyptus)and Wandoo. Will post some pics of those once we've commenced.

Well, my gal plays at the Lark Distillery almost every Friday evening as lead singer with Coyote Serenade, so I think some of the harder spirits will be headed my way! Their Bush Liqueur is incredible, and the Pepper Berry Gin ain't bad either! Louise is playing down at the Cygnet Folk Festival this weekend with her other band, the String Chickens...wish I were there...

Bob, that Tiger Myrtle set is out of this world what did you pay for the set.? i would be keeping that Guitar as within a few more years there will not be anymore Tiger Myrtle available, Native Olive is hard to source because its hard to find trees large enough, regards Bob,http://www.tasmaniantimbers.com.au

[QUOTE=bob_connor]Dave and I have been working on a series of Dreadnoughts built from Australian (or more to the point Tasmanian) timbers.

This first one is Native Olive. (Notelaea ligustrina)

Quite difficult to source and if you can get hold of it the lumber is prone to heart shakes and worm holes. It also contains a natural wax which makes it a bit of a beast to run through the drum sander. However, from what I've seen so far it'll be worth the hassle.

However it has a very nice tap tone to it, similar to the rosewoods but with more bottom end than anything I've got in the stash (including Brazilian)

It is about the same weight as the rosewoods. This weighs in at 894 grams without the top - back at .090" and sides at .080", Mahogany neck and end block and linings.

What it'll sound like in an instrument is anyones guess. Tim Spittle has one three quarters finished and there's this one. (as far as we know no-one has a completed a N Olive yet )

You can see some of the worm holes in the side of this pic.

The next one is Tasmanian Black Heart Sassafras.(Atherosperma moschatum)

Similar in weight to Mahogany (just slightly heavier) and at this point in construction has a similar sound to a Mahogany dread that we're building. It has that woody sound that makes me think it will have a similar mid-range punch to Mahog.

The Black Heart is a fungus which occurs in some trees and is generally sought ofter by woodturners. I have seen a pic of a Sassafras guitar but it hasn't been used extensively in Australia.

The last one is Tiger Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghami)which most of you will have seen before.

Myrtle is the predominant species in Tasmania's temperate rainforests but Tiger Myrtle is only found in a small area of northwest Tassie and like the Native Olive is very difficult to source.

Myrtle is a botanical legacy of the Gondwana super-continent. It is representative of species that once grew extensively throughout not only Australia but also South America and Antarctica. It can grow up to 50m and live in excess of 500 years.

It also comes with some incredible curly figuring but the straight grained, un-tigered version of this wood sounds exactly the same and is much less expensive.

Has rich bottom end and complex upper mids and highs.

We've got another couple to start using Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus)and Wandoo. Will post some pics of those once we've commenced.

will not be long now Rick, and then your will have your Hands on some of our beautiful Timbers, regards Bob,[QUOTE=Rick Turner]Yeah, you guys have it happening! Can't wait to get my hands on some of this stuff...[/QUOTE]

Fantastic looking guitars! I don't think any place has a nicer collection of woods than Tasmania.
I'm currently working with Tim to get some sides for some tiger myrtle backs that I have. I had access to some great stuff a couple years back here, but the guy who has the wood here left it sitting in a dark, damp area wrapped up in plastic. Yep, it went all punky and rotten. What was he thinking anyway? He should be charged with a crime....

_________________"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.Only badly."

And there is possibly more timbers that are suitable for instrument building that we haven't discovered yet.

And maybe even some species that haven't been described yet.

Cygnet is a great little festival Rick - I performed at the first one back in 1982. I wouldn't mind being at this one myself.

We cut that Tiger from a billet and the sawmiller described it as "that's about as good as I've seen" and he's been harvesting this stuff for around 30 years. So we'll be hanging on to the rest of it.

Bob Burlman - if that Gunn's pulp mill goes ahead it may disappear at an alarmingly quicker rate than we all anticipate. It may well be that we have to use three or four piece backs for Native Olive but it's too good a wood not to use.

Don - that bloke should be put in stocks in the town square and let the villagers throw MDF at him.

I'm probably more excited about the Native Olive as a tonewood than the Myrtle. The sustain and deep bottom end, when tapped, has to be heard to be believed - quite extraordinary. It is probably the closest timber we have in Australia to any of the denser Rosewoods.

Bob Long - if that was Britney Spears, Le Fridge would be empty mate. If you are interested in more info on Aussie woods I've been developing a resource which you can find here

Myrtle is also a very nice wood for necks and I have some Sassfras for neck wood that we're going to test on some of these.

The nice thing about all of these woods is that they don't need pore filling.

I'll be experimenting more with local woods so I'll let you all know of what's happening in that area.

Don, i have Tiger Myrtle in Stock for sides if you are interested, keep a check on my website as within the next 3 months i hope to be set up for resawing sets as in the past i have be selling billets in Tasmanian Timbers, its now time to do the Value adding here in Tasmania, regards Bob. http://www.tasmaniantimbers.com.au[QUOTE=Don Williams]Fantastic looking guitars! I don't think any place has a nicer collection of woods than Tasmania. I'm currently working with Tim to get some sides for some tiger myrtle backs that I have. I had access to some great stuff a couple years back here, but the guy who has the wood here left it sitting in a dark, damp area wrapped up in plastic. Yep, it went all punky and rotten. What was he thinking anyway? He should be charged with a crime....[/QUOTE]

Hi Bob, i would say there is Definitely more Timbers here in Tasmania suitable for Tone Woods, i have been salvageing Timber here on and off for 40 years apart from my travleling trips and working holidays overseas, i have also got to know all the sawmillers that mill minor Species, and i have built up a close business relationship with Forestry Tasmania, now as we know alot of Timber has been wasted in the past but this is now changeing. within the next 3 months i hope to be set up for resawing sets right at the source on the end of the sawmill, and i also think its a great idea what you were saying that Luthiers might have to use 3 or 4 pieces for backs in native Olive. on another note luckily i allso have a few friends who own there own Rain Forest so we will selective Log a few Old Growth Trees, and where we do this we will plant more of the same species for the future, keep checking my website for the latest news, as well as beautiful Acoustic timbers also Figured and Burled Timbers will be available for Solid Body Guitars, cheers Bob. http://www.tasmaniantimbers.com.au

And there is possibly more timbers that are suitable for instrument building that we haven't discovered yet.

And maybe even some species that haven't been described yet.

Cygnet is a great little festival Rick - I performed at the first one back in 1982. I wouldn't mind being at this one myself.

We cut that Tiger from a billet and the sawmiller described it as "that's about as good as I've seen" and he's been harvesting this stuff for around 30 years. So we'll be hanging on to the rest of it.

Bob Burlman - if that Gunn's pulp mill goes ahead it may disappear at an alarmingly quicker rate than we all anticipate. It may well be that we have to use three or four piece backs for Native Olive but it's too good a wood not to use.

Don - that bloke should be put in stocks in the town square and let the villagers throw MDF at him.

I'm probably more excited about the Native Olive as a tonewood than the Myrtle. The sustain and deep bottom end, when tapped, has to be heard to be believed - quite extraordinary. It is probably the closest timber we have in Australia to any of the denser Rosewoods.

Bob Long - if that was Britney Spears, Le Fridge would be empty mate. If you are interested in more info on Aussie woods I've been developing a resource which you can find here

Myrtle is also a very nice wood for necks and I have some Sassfras for neck wood that we're going to test on some of these.

The nice thing about all of these woods is that they don't need pore filling.

I'll be experimenting more with local woods so I'll let you all know of what's happening in that area.

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